The present invention relates to battery cooling systems and, more specifically, to systems for cooling batteries for cordless power tools.
Cordless products which use rechargeable batteries are prevalent throughout the workplace as well as in the home. From housewares to power tools, rechargeable batteries are used in numerous devices. Ordinarily, nickel-cadmium or nickelmetal-hydride battery cells are used in these devices. Since the devices use a plurality of battery cells, the battery cells are ordinarily packaged as battery packs. These battery packs couple with the cordless devices and secure to the device. The battery pack may be removed from the cordless device and charged in a battery charger or charged in the cordless device itself.
As the cordless power device is used, current flows through the batteries to power the cordless device. As current is drawn off the batteries, heat is generated within the battery pack. Also, during charging of the battery pack, heat is likewise accumulated during the charging process. The heat created during discharge of the batteries as well as charging of the batteries which, in turn, leads to increased temperatures, may have a severe effect on the life expectancy and performance of the batteries. In order for batteries to properly charge, the batteries must be below a desired threshold temperature and the differential temperature between the cells in the battery pack should be minimized. Likewise, if the batteries become too hot during use, battery life will be cut short. Also, if a battery is below a certain threshold temperature, it will be too cold to charge and must be warmed before charging. Thus, it is desirous to maintain batteries within a desired temperature range for optimum performance as well as optimum charging.
Further, battery packs typically contain some battery cells close to the outer walls of the pack, while some battery cells are surrounded by other battery cells. Those cells close to the outer walls have better thermal conductivity to the outside ambient than do the cells that are surrounded by other cells. When a battery pack is discharging on the cordless device, the amount of heat generated is approximately the same in each cell. However, depending on the thermal path to ambient, different cells will reach different temperatures. Further, for the same reasons, different cells reach different temperatures during the charging process. Accordingly, if one cell is at an increased temperature with respect to the other cells, its charge or discharge efficiency will be different, and, therefore, it may charge or discharge faster than the other cells. This will lead to a decline in the performance of the entire pack.